CONTACT: Karen Rugg, 202-543-1900 (Washington, DC) -- January
26, 1998 -- Today in Washington, National Space Society Executive
Director Pat Dasch issued the following statement on the developing
story of NASA's directive earlier this month that, as of January
30, "no activities uniquely directed toward human exploration
beyond low- Earth-orbit shall be conducted by the Agency at this
time."

According to Ms. Dasch, "This decision indicates a 'stop-go,
go-stop' mode of operating at NASA. Background work on future human
missions was accelerated just over a year ago in response to
overwhelming public reaction to the possible finding of evidence of
life on ancient Mars. What strategic planning mechanism suggests
accelerating studies one year and terminating them the next?"

She adds, "We're witnessing a fall-out from our nation's lack of
consensus on a long-term policy for space exploration. As of today,
NASA planning for humans in space goes no further than 2002 and the
completion of the Space Station assembly.

The station's major science objectives have been connected with
improving our understanding of how humans relate to the space
environment. It is hard to believe that these objectives are taken
seriously when studies related to the missions that would pay a
return on the Space Station investment are to be discontinued.

This action also represents an inevitable outcome of an
Administration that does not support human space exploration. Since
President Clinton took office, overall funding for NASA has
declined every year. The Administration has yet to take ownership
of the Space Station or to offer a solution of supplemental funding
which would release NASA from having to sacrifice ongoing research
on future human missions for what is to be gained with Space
Station. Now is the time for the Administration to step up and
supply NASA with an option."

The National Space Society is an independent, nonprofit space
advocacy organization with headquarters in Washington, DC. Its
25,000 members and 95 chapters around the world actively promote a
spacefaring civilization. For more information on the NSS and our
future in space, visit http://www.nss.org/.